Another Life
by The Great Dane
Summary: The Arisen and Aelinor has to face the world now that it is without a Dragon. A city has fallen and leaders are needed, but who says that the hero has a desire for power? Do you turn it away when the people have no one else? (Don't know where I'm going with this, so rating it M to be sure.)
1. Another Life

**Another Life**

* * *

_Authors Note:  
This is post-game with some changes. I'm not into that New-game plus thing, so I will just write the state of the world as it is "before the death of the dragon" with just the exception of the Gran Soren's fall.  
The Arisen is a female a year or so older than Aelinore. She's a magick archer(overpowered, I know)_

* * *

For once the phrasing "good morning" would fit. Seeing the sleeping blonde next to her was confirmation of the last week's events in truth. Aelinore slept silently still, it almost seemed like peace itself in a physical form; calming, soothing. One could almost be concerned for her state of health, with her fair skin and golden locks almost being ghostly in the morning sun. Were it not for her lazy breaths and slight twitching with her fingers you would think her dead. Tumbling noises came from the other room; arriving back from the rift were it no doubt Alice.

"Master." She exclaimed, making Aelinore stir in the bed. "I have brought this gift with me from my last mission:" She held out a fish proudly, as proud as a pawn could look anyway.

"Is it morning?" Aelinore interrupted them, looking up through heavy eyelids. "You are a pleasant sight to behold my dear warrior." She added.

"Victoria please - I told you to call me by my name." Victoria protested.

"But you are my knight, my warrior-savior. 'Tis just a statement of the truth."

"She's right master, all those are fitting descriptions of your current occupation." Alice chimed in.

"Doesn't have to mean I want it to be my nametag!" Alice laughed and pressed her pillow against Aelinore's mouth, before she could add anything.

"What shall I do with the reward?" Alice asked and shook the fish.

"I don't care right now, what about giving it to someone?" Victoria said annoyed. Fish was hardly a proper interruption of this current moment.

"I shall do as asked!" Alice declared and turned towards the door.

"Eh, Alice," Victoria called. "Why not just keep guard by the door today? Just report if any monsters attack directly, and if else; aid Selene if she wants to go somewhere."

"As you command!" Alice nodded and left.

Victoria made an easy sigh of relief and looked back towards her lover, who was just smiling up at her. She brushed a stray hair away from her face with her thumb and smiled back. She lowered her face, taking in the scent of Aelinore in as she tugged in close to her, only keeping slim space free between their bodies. She smelled of the sweat from last night's "endeavours" and a hint of dirt, also still some hints of the fancy perfume she had applied just before being rescued from that damned tower. Their faces aligned until their libs brushed past each other than tilted to make access for a gentle kiss. Aelinore giggled lightly into the kiss and broke it off after tasting it fully.

"You know," she whispered. "I hope this is actually like the fairy tales I was told as a child."

"How so?" Victoria whispered back.

"Well, Victoria," she gently stroked Victoria's cheek. "My warrior; that first meeting in the gardens - where you proved that the legend of the Arisen were more than just wild tales - to the chaste meeting in my chambers, leading to each our own imprisonment and your rescue of me from first the tower- and then the Dragon. It all fits the tales. And if it really is, that means we get to "live happily ever after," from now on."

"I used to think those sounded boring," Victoria laughed. "But after everything I went through to this moment I must admit that I can settle for "happily ever after" easily." Aelinore giggled, but was suddenly replaced by a slightly sad expression. "What's wrong?" Victoria asked, trying to keep her own smile as reassuring as possible.

"I thought I had my life settled when I was told of my engagement to my lord husband, Edmund. I was going to live in a foreign country for the rest of my life and birth many healthy children for the benefit of both nations…" she trailed off, her eyes seeming distant for a moment. Victoria did not interrupt her. "I realise that the first time I made a choice of my own was when I wished to invite you to my privates."

"I'm glad you did, your privates look lovely." Victoria purred flirtatiously.

"You!" Aelinore protested with a badly supressed giggle and pushed her on the shoulder.

"Y'know." Victoria mumbled and shifted her position to lie on her back. She looked into the ceiling, realising that it needed repair.

"What?" Aelinore asked with a curious look in her eyes and snuggled closer to her.

"I always thought life was about choice," she tilted her head to look at Aelinore again. "You can behave as rough or gentle as possible your whole life, but what will be your legacy and what your closest friends will remember the most, is what you actually do acting that way." There was a short pause where they just looked into one another's eyes. "I did not go to the encampment because I was destined to fulfil this lonely quest; I chose so because it felt like the right thing. I chose to take in Selene because she had nowhere else to go. I chose to meet you because I liked you and was curious."

"I like the notion that the two of us were destined to be together." Aelinore smiled.

"And I'm glad I chose to go see you. I only regret the whipping part."

"Sorry."

"Eh, it would be bearable if you were the wielder."

"What?" Aelinore cocked an eyebrow at her. "Do you ever stop joking?" she giggled

"I love you." A short pause interrupted Aelinore's giggle as she found honesty replacing the joking glint in Victoria's eyes. She pulled at Victoria, closing the space between them and kissing her on the cheek.

"I love you as well." She whispered. She wrapped her arm around Victoria and rested her head on her shoulder. They laid together for a while, in silence; listening to each other's breaths and the sound of seagulls and waves from the ocean. An odd bustle close by could also be heard as the minutes went by, but nothing involving monsters judging by the sound.

They were interrupted as Selene suddenly appeared from the hallway. She folded her hands having difficulty wording her thoughts as usual.

"Someone is here to seek your aid Arisen. Yours too Duchess." She stammered and stared at them. Aelinore and Victoria looked at each other for a moment before looking back at Selene.

"Who?" Victoria asked.

"I do not know. People." Selene answered. Aelinore sat up and began tying her hair into a knot. Victoria also got up from the bed, but not without grunting in protest. What would be so important to interrupt the only time she had gotten to be alone with her lover, now that the damned Dragon was dead?


	2. Waking Changes

**Waking Changes**

A group of people had assembled outside of her home apparently. That or they were really lost, all of them. But given her and her lovers role that would not be a safe bet. Most of them were not from Cassadis either, some guards and a few refugees from Gran Soren. Tomlin were there though, Elvar too.

"Arisen!" one person yelled trying to gain her attention.

"Duchess Aelinore?" another asked. They looked to each other before facing the crowd again.

"What is going on?" Victoria yelled, making half the people jump.

"What are you going to do?" the man from before asked.

"About what?"

"About us. About Gran Soren."

"My job ended when I killed the Dragon, I have no interest in that place anymore." Some of them looked to each other in concern.

"But what about we left without a home?"

"I'm sorry for you, but what do you expect me to do?"

"Duchess?" the man then said and looked to Aelinore. "Can you help?" Aelinore blushed and backed a step behind Victoria.

"I am not certain I will be of any worthy aid, I am not on terms with my lord husband at present," she stammered.

"Because you are a cheating harlot!" One of the guards yelled. He froze as he found an arrow pointed right at his throat.

"Say that again and you will be breathing through a new hole," Victoria hissed coolly.

"Victoria," Aelinore whispered and laid a hand on her arm to lower it.

"I won't let these people slander your name just because your abusive husband failed at everything he was supposed to do," she defended.

"The duke is a great man!" another guard protested.

"No he's not," Victoria yelled. "The damn fool played court and worried more about trinkets while the dragon ravaged the lower lands and ravaged his wife!" The protesters fell silent as they all too well recognised the truth in her words. Too many men had been lost fighting for uninhabited land while the dragon had crushed lone homes.

"He still wishes to see you however," a familiar voice sounded. Aldous came walking towards them from the gate; he had overheard the last argument and had a stern look on his face.

"Why? Does he want me to go find his ring again?"

"Hello to you Aelinore," Aldous greeted as he passed through the crowd and stood in front of them.

"Aldous…" Aelinore commented. Her eyes looked confused.

"But no," Aldous answered, "he does not intent another charity. I do however believe he wants to discuss the future with you."

"Why? I have done my job."

"Exactly, he wants to uncover what role you are going to have now that you have, as you say, fulfilled your role," he looked to Aelinore, "he wishes to talk to you too duchess."

"Strangle her you mean," Victoria hissed.

"I… have heard of the conflicts…"

"Ha! Conflict? I wonder if he thinks soft language is going to save him or this land."

"What do you mean?" Aldous raised a brow in confusion. The other people mumbled between each other too, even Aelinore looked at her in wonder.

"The man doesn't even belong in the seat of a duke, but I can't tell you why just yet…"

"Does that mean you will meet him?" Aldous asked, a glint of hope showed in his eyes.

"Yes," Victoria announced. "I will meet the Duke, but I have conditions."

"What exactly?"

"We will meet in the business district in the light of day, the people shall not be kept from observing."

"That is quite… Uncommon." Aldous protested.

"I'm not going to show up on his stage and expect anything good, I want the people there to bear witness themselves. If these terms don't fit he can come to Cassardis and meet me himself." Aldous looked down a moment; he seemed to be in inner conflict. He inhaled a large mouthful air before sighing and nodding his head at her.

"Very well, I will talk to the Duke and set up the meeting then. Report to Ser Maximillian when you arrive." Aldous bowed and went off as quickly as he had shown up. Aelinore tugged on Victoria's sleeve, looking her in the eyes as her head turned to her attention.

"Are you sure this is the right course of action?" She asked hesitantly.

"This is obviously not going away so we might as well see if we can "plug the whole without too much spill" if you know what I mean." Aelinore giggled at her awkward metaphor.

"I think I do," she paused seemingly between thoughts. "I am going to be there with you this time. Hopefully my entitlement as Edmund's wife will be good for something at last." Her smile was uneasy, truthfully Victoria had no idea what was in store for them in Gran Soren, but if anything in her time as Arisen she had learned that old wounds needs to be closed before they are infected.


End file.
